


The Walking Trail

by ArdentLake



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Internalized Homophobia, M/M, a hiking we will go, everyone is tense, no kissing, rhett secretly wants to make up, the slapping incident
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21826771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArdentLake/pseuds/ArdentLake
Summary: The Slapping Incident caused a rift between Rhett and Link. How can they fix it?
Comments: 11
Kudos: 13
Collections: Mythical Secret Santa 2019





	The Walking Trail

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sparkle-fingers (sundayrain26)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sundayrain26/gifts).



> HAPPY CHRISMAHANUKWANZAKAH SOLTISCE! I hope you all enjoy your holidays, no matter what you celebrate! Even if you don't! Very special thanks to my friend RhiRhi for cheering me on and giving this Mythical Secret Santa fic a look over. This wouldn't be here without her!

It had been a tense two weeks after the slapping incident. Rhett and Link would film their usual Good Mythical Morning episodes but refused to even look at each other when they were off camera. Their fight had become a real problem, the tension evident to everyone. Even the Mythical Beasts were sounding off in the comments over their poor mood.

Their staff had a secret meeting to plan on fixing things between them, throwing out one idea after another. There were some decent ideas but no one could agree on what was best for their bosses. The new hire, Stevie Levine, thought deeply about their dilemma. She didn't know Rhett and Link too well so she couldn't be sure what could work to iron out their problems with each other. She stayed quiet, listening to everyone argue with each other until someone mentioned hiking. Stevie shot up in her chair.

"I know a place that would be great for a hike! It would be a bit of a drive but I think it could work!"  
\-------------------------------------  
Since Stevie had come up with the hiking trail, she was picked to be the one to corner their bosses. Standing at the door to their office, she took a calming breath and knocked. Someone shouted to come in so she opened the door to peek her head in. Rhett and Link were seated as far away from each other as possible which was, as far as Stevie understood, very odd. Clearing her throat, she pushed the door open all the way. She stood there awkwardly as the sounds of the TV in their office sounded off in an obnoxious way.

“Don't you hate it when you're bird-watching but constantly get pooped on by the very birds you're watching? Even a long shower won't get it all out! Wish you could do something about all that goop? If so, say hello! To Ineffable Boop! Just big enough to keep you from being rained on and just small enough to not entirely block your sight, it comes in many colors like Save Me From the Poop and I Can't Believe There's No Poop!-” Rhett turned off the TV and turned to Stevie.

“Sorry about that, wasn’t listening to it anyway. What’s up?”

"Hi guys. Uh, listen, everyone has been talking and we've decided the two of you need to go somewhere and relax. I know we have lots of work to do but y'all have been fighting for two weeks! We can't take it anymore!" Stevie huffed as they looked at her, stunned. Link turned a deep shade of red and went to open his mouth to argue but Rhett cut him off.

"You and the rest of the crew are right. We need to work this out. Did y'all have somethin' in mind?" Stevie opened up a map of California and set to work showing him a nice, quiet trail somewhat northeast of LA. Link kept butting in because they needed to get back to work but was quietly rebuffed so he fumed quietly.

_Why doesn't anyone want to do any real work around here?!_  
\---------------------------------------  
The traffic on the way to Camp Seely was heavy so it took the better part of two hours to drive there despite being an hour away. Rhett had taken the wheel, realizing Link was in one of his moods and didn't want him getting carried away. He didn't want the car getting wrecked, after all. He admitted to himself he didn't want Link getting hurt either. Rhett may have been angry but he still cared even if he tried to hide it. He cared so much, it gave him butterflies in his stomach.

They pulled up to the head of the trail and parked. Rhett glanced over at Link and nudged him. Link glared at him, his blue eyes like sharp icicles.

"Well, we're here. Stevie said it's a pretty short trail so it shouldn't take too long to hike" said Rhett. Link rolled his eyes and thinned his lips. Not that Rhett was looking at Link's lips of course.

"Great, means we can get back to what we should be doing faster!" said Link as he jerked the car door open. Rhett sighed and turned the car off, getting out of the car. He really wanted to end this fight. The way everyone noticed their mood, especially the Mythical Beasts, was eating at him.

He had always read their comments obsessively, oftentimes to the detriment of his self-worth and this was no different. It seemed everyone watching noticed how forced their interactions were and he was worried they would start losing subscribers. Now, he had his chance to set things right with Link. Rhett caught up with his best friend, who had his arms firmly crossed and dark eyebrows furrowed. He knew it would be difficult but this wasn't their first fight. He knew he would be able to get Link to see sense. He just had to prepare a script in his head. Rhett glanced at Link as they started down the tree lined trail and winced. The stubborn set to his jaw intimidated him, just a little.

_I better have a damn good script ready._  
\--------------------------------------  
Rhett was still mulling over what he would say to Link when he saw the end of the trail ahead. There was a rock ledge at the end of the path and he could hear the sound of a rushing waterfall. He sprinted ahead to the ledge and looked down. He saw the waterfall he heard and the river that led away from it but saw something that was rather peculiar. His breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened, all thought about his plan disappearing. He grinned and whipped around to gesture to Link.

"C'mon bo, hurry up!" Link rolled his eyes at Rhett's enthusiasm and refused to change his pace. He didn't want to be here and wanted to make sure it was obvious. He didn't care what Rhett saw or so he told himself. As he drew close, he started coming up with what Rhett could have seen and his lips twitched in a smirk. Once he was standing next to Rhett, however, all of his uncharitable thoughts flew out of his head. It wasn't the decent drop to the river that made his breath stutter and mouth fall open. No, it was the sight of an almost perfect heart carved into the rock that made him chuckle quietly. Link smiled and turned to look at Rhett.

"I see why Stevie wanted us to come here. I-listen Rhett, I'm sorry for being such an asshole. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course I can forgive you, as long as you forgive me for being just as much of an asshole. Truce?" Rhett offered his hand and Link took it with a smile.  
They looked at each other warmly for a moment, letting each other know how much they care. They broke it off before it got too long so it wouldn't get weird. When they were kids, there was a line drawn between them by others and they obeyed that line. There may have been a time they thought about crossing it together, but it never came. They were currently happily married, to other people of course, so nothing would ever change. Their expressions turned bittersweet for a few seconds before Rhett clapped his hands to break them both out of it.

"There's a beautiful river down there calling our names. Whaddaya say we go for a swim?" Rhett gestured down to the burbling stream and grinned. Link grinned back, ready and willing to follow. He would forever and always follow Rhett, no matter where he went. It was the truth, pure and simple.

"That sounds like a great idea buddyroll, even if it isn't the Cape Fear River. Last one down has to drive back to work!" Link took off and started clambering down the cliff face before Rhett could move. Rhett laughed boisterously and started down after his best friend. It was a close race but Rhett won by a hair. Having naturally, or unnaturally as Link would say, long limbs helped him catch up quickly.  
They both threw off their shirts and dove in. The chilly water surrounded them, making them gasp. They came up and looked at each other, water dripping from their hair. Link grinned mischievously and splashed Rhett with a swipe of his hand. Rhett spluttered and shouted at Link in surprise, a wide grin lifting his cheeks. Thus began an epic splash fight, their giggles echoing through the trees.

What they didn't know was a certain blonde haired woman watched them from the trees with a pair of her umbrella binoculars, a smirk on her lips. The Infomercial Queen Aimee Brells would get them back one day. She just needed a plan. One that would sweep their feet from under them into her waiting arms.


End file.
